Since playing for United again, following a summer of speculation and injury, much has been made of the fans’ reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo. He was fortunate to miss the first month of the season, as fans who were riled up over the summer and calmed down considerably a few weeks in, particularly after a string of substandard performances. He escaped receiving a booing, but I think there has been a very apparent shift in our treatment of him.
When he’s scored, we’ve sang his song, but that is about as far as it goes. The stark contrast between our support at Ewood Park last season compared to this seemed to highlight it all the more. With a few weeks until the end of the season, his name was sang for pretty much 90 minutes. In the match there just a couple of weeks ago, ‘Viva Ronaldo’ just got a couple of rounds.
I’m pleased to see our fans haven’t been complete mugs where Ronaldo is concerned. It’s as if we’ve already said our goodbyes, knowing he’ll be off in the summer, so can just enjoy what he gives us until then. If he scores, brilliant, if he picks up an assist, great, but he’s shown he’ll never be ‘one of us’.
Still, I keep hearing Ronaldo talking about the fans, about how pleased he is that we’ve welcomed him back, and I can’t help but wondering, does he really give a shit less?
“In the game when I came back against Villarreal I wasn’t nervous but just a bit excited to see how the fans would react to me,” Ronaldo said. “Thank God things went well. This shows people have not forgotten all the good things we’ve done together and I’m very happy with that.”
If he cares about the fans’ opinion so much, why did he dick about all summer, saying he loved to play in white, and that God only knew his future. Yes, God did know your future, and He flew out to Portugal and told you that you were staying, remember?
It’s a odd situation to feel so disconnected from one of our players, particularly when considering that he’s our ‘best player’, the best in the World. But I read what he has to stay about the fans, thanking God that we still accept him, and think, bollocks. What is it that FC United fans sing about Rio again?
Regardless, Ronaldo is hopeful of winning the league and European Cup this season, which I suppose would be an acceptable parting gift…
“Things are going pretty well,” Ronaldo said of the season so far. “I’d love a repeat of last season and continue to show some good progression.”
Ronaldo was adored last season, Viva Ronaldo was like an anthem at the matches, we gave him everything we had as supporters and how did he re-pay us??? By wanting to go. There are other players at the club who deserve our devotion far more than Ronnie. Even when he came on against Villareal, I couldn’t give him a standing ovation, I couldn’t even get up out my seat I felt like I was being two faced – instead I had my head in my hands and didn’t know what to do. He let us all down and it’s gonna be hard for everyone to forgive him.
Ok lads relax i just felt a bit offended.
Doesnt make me less of a manc if i believe in God
Ronaldo is a brilliant player, no doubt about that. But at the same time, one would wonder if he had joined any other club other than United, would he had been able to fulfil the potentials which he had shown back at Sporting Lisbon? Ronaldo has always benefited from the players who he has around him at United. He has the right manager who brought the best out of him as well. He is a superstar now but it could have turned the other way round if SAF decided to bring in Ricardo Queresma instead of Ronaldo years ago.
Scott?? You create tension when there doesn’t need to be any. It seems like you write these blogs because you want to have the sadistic pleasure of reading a load of anti-Ronaldo comments. I am just being honest. You say he will be of in the summer. How do you know that? Many people thought he would be of in 06 and 08 and he didn’t. He will go when Fergie wants him to go and Fergie is here until at least 2010. How do you know he won’t sign a new contract? Why are you digging up ground that is two months old? do you think its what Fergie wants to hear? No! are you helping the club? No. Infact, all you are doing is being a pure embaressment to the club
You say the contrast is different at Edwood from last season to this with regards to singing but many thought Ronaldo’s song wouldn’t be sang at all and it is still being, so let me tell you when Ronnie goes on a run, it will be back to next season. Fact. I am a season ticket holder in the stretty and I will continue to support Ronaldo and why? Because I don’t act like a jilted lover at the altar and I knew Ronaldo wanted to go to Madrid one day (as did you) I didn’t expect it to be soon but I can see his reasoning as he won everything he could here, both individually and with the team. He even said the club understood his reasons and like Fergie himself said, Ronaldo has got on with it, returned to play 6 weeks earlier than expected, not moaned and given his all in the United shirt. I was speaking to an Irish guy at the Villareal game. We got speaking about Ronaldo and he said ‘I am just pleased Ronaldo is still here. I knew he wouldn’t be here forever but its better to have loved than never to’. The fact is, a lot goes on behind the scenes in football as we learnt with Ruud Van Nistlerooy today and we have no idea what kind of advice Ronaldo was getting from his advisors.
Listen to what Lou Macari said. ‘the british players and the foreign players have different ambitions and the british ones understand that the foreign ones want to move abroad’.
Viva Ronaldo
Mark YOU HAVE SPOKEN!
Mark, YOU HAVE SPOKEN like a Manu fan who has already moved on- not waiting around looking for who moved your chesse. I kind of like your analysis great!